IPv4 and IPv6 are two versions of Internet Protocol addresses. An IP address is used to identify a device, server, router, or network connection so data can be sent to the correct place on the internet.
IPv4 is the older and most familiar version, while IPv6 is the newer version designed to provide many more available addresses for the growing number of devices connected to the internet.
IPv4 stands for Internet Protocol version 4. It uses addresses made of four numbers separated by dots, such as 203.0.113.10. Each number can range from 0 to 255.
IPv4 has been used for decades and is still widely used today. However, because IPv4 has a limited number of possible addresses, techniques such as NAT, private IP addresses, and shared public IP addresses are commonly used.
IPv6 stands for Internet Protocol version 6. It uses a much longer address format with letters and numbers separated by colons, such as 2001:db8:85a3::8a2e:370:7334.
IPv6 was created to solve the address shortage problem. It supports an extremely large number of addresses, making it easier for phones, computers, servers, smart devices, and networks to have unique internet addresses.
IPv6 was created because the internet grew far beyond what IPv4 was originally designed to handle. With billions of computers, phones, servers, routers, cloud services, and smart devices online, the world needed more available IP addresses.
IPv6 also helps simplify some network designs because more devices can have globally unique addresses without relying as heavily on address sharing methods such as NAT.
| Version | Example | Format |
|---|---|---|
| IPv4 | 203.0.113.10 | Four decimal numbers separated by dots |
| IPv6 | 2001:db8::1 | Hexadecimal groups separated by colons |
Your connection may use IPv4, IPv6, or both. Many modern networks support dual stack, which means they can use IPv4 and IPv6 at the same time depending on the website, app, device, and internet provider.
If a website supports IPv6 and your network supports IPv6, your browser may connect using IPv6. If IPv6 is not available, your connection will normally fall back to IPv4.
IPv6 is newer and provides a much larger address space, but IPv4 is still very important because it is widely supported across older networks, devices, servers, and internet services.
In practice, one is not always “better” for every situation. Most users do not need to choose between them. Your internet provider, router, operating system, and browser usually handle IPv4 and IPv6 automatically.
IPv6 does not automatically make you anonymous or private. Websites can still see the IP address used for your connection, and they may still use cookies, browser information, login accounts, and analytics tools to recognize visitors.
Many modern devices use IPv6 privacy extensions, which can rotate parts of the IPv6 address to reduce long-term tracking. However, privacy still depends on your device settings, browser behavior, network configuration, and the services you use.